Quick Facts
Biography
Ernest Evar Swanson (October 15, 1902 in DeKalb, Illinois – July 17, 1973 in Galesburg, Illinois), was a professional baseball and football player. He played outfielder in the Major Leagues from 1929 to 1934. He would play for the Cincinnati Reds and Chicago White Sox. In the National Football League, he played running back for the Rock Island Independents, Milwaukee Badgers, and Chicago Cardinals from 1924 to 1927. He went to college and played three sports at Lombard College in Galesburg, Illinois.
Swanson was one of the fastest men in baseball in his time. During a contest held on September 15, 1929 between games of a doubleheader, he circled the bases in 13.3 seconds and that record still stands. (Some sources claim his time was 13.4.) A year later, on September 21, 1930, in a minor league field meet in Columbus, Ohio, Swanson circled the bases in 13.2 seconds, giving him both the fastest time as minor leaguer.